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Kirchhoff CA, Cooke SB, Gomez JC, Rex Mitchell D, Stein T, Terhune CE. Variation in Craniodental Pathologies Among Cercopithecoid Primates. Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23681. [PMID: 39252466 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
Pathologies of the skull and teeth are well documented for many human populations, but there are fewer studies of other primates. We contrast lesion prevalence and patterning among cercopithecoid primates and map variation onto socioecological variables. We compare craniodental lesions in six species: Nasalis larvatus (n = 54), Colobus polykomos (n = 64), Cercopithecus mitis (n = 65), Macaca fascicularis (n = 109), Theropithecus gelada (n = 13), and Papio anubis (n = 76). One of us (C.A.K.) evaluated each adult skull for multiple lesion types using standard criteria. We also tested for a relationship between lesion prevalence and cranial suture fusion (age proxy). We used nonparametric tests for sex and species differences as well as pathology co-occurrence in SPSS. Socioecological data come from previous studies. Sex differences in lesion prevalence were only detected in P. anubis. Within taxa, some lesion types co-occurred. In Macaca, the presence of caries was associated with several other lesion types. Pulp cavity exposure co-occurred with TMJ osteoarthritis in multiple taxa. Among taxa, male P. anubis had higher lesion prevalences, particularly related to the anterior dentition and facial trauma. Because we did not detect a relationship between suture fusion and lesion prevalence, we propose that craniodental lesions may also be influenced by socioecological variables such as group composition and ratio of fruit to leaves in the diet. Our findings suggest that pain from pulp cavity exposure and related dental infections may alter chewing biomechanics and contribute to onset of TMJ osteoarthritis in nonhuman primates, as seen in humans. Further, we suggest that higher lesion prevalence in male baboons is likely related to male-male competition. Skeletal lesion analysis provides useful insight into primate socioecology, particularly for rare or difficult-to-observe phenomena, and provides additional biological context for our own species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire A Kirchhoff
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Siobhán B Cooke
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology Morphometrics Group, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jessica C Gomez
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Psychology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - D Rex Mitchell
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Tyler Stein
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Claire E Terhune
- Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
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Pampush JD, Morse PE, Kay RF. Dental sculpting and compensatory shearing crests demonstrated in a WEAR series of Presbytis rubicunda (Cercopithecoidea, Colobidae) with dental topography analysis. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 185:e24953. [PMID: 38751320 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Maintaining effective and efficient occlusal morphology presents adaptive challenges for mammals, particularly because mastication produces interactions with foods and other materials that alters the geometry of occlusal surfaces through macrowear and/or catastrophic failure (i.e. "chipping"). Altered occlusal morphologies are often less effective for masticating materials of given diet-but not always-some species exhibit dental sculpting, meaning their dentitions are set up to harness macrowear to hone their occlusal surfaces into more effective morphologies (i.e. secondary morphologies). Here we show that dental sculpting is present in the folivorous Presbytis rubicunda of Borneo. METHODS Thirty-one undamaged lower second molars of P. rubicunda exhibiting various stages of macroscopic wear were micro-CT scanned and processed into digital surfaces. The surfaces were measured for convex Dirichlet normal energy (vDNE, a measure of surface sharpness), and degree of surface wear. Regression analyses compared surface sharpness with several measures of wear to test for the presence and magnitude of dental sculpting. RESULTS Positive correlations between the wear proxies and vDNE reveal that P. rubicunda wear in such a way as to become sharper, and therefore more effective chewing surfaces by exposing enamel-dentine junctions on their occlusal surfaces and then honing these junctions into sharpened edges. Compared to another primate folivore in which increasing surface sharpness with macrowear has been demonstrated (i.e., Alouatta palliata), the worn surfaces are similarly sharp, but the dental sculpting process appears to be different. DISCUSSION The results presented here suggest that not only do some primates exhibit dental sculpting and the attendant secondary morphology, but that there appear to be multiple different morphological configurations that can achieve this result. P. rubicunda has thicker enamel and a more stereotyped wear pattern than A. palliata, although both show positive correlations of occlusal surface sharpness (vDNE) with various wear proxies. These findings shed light on the varied approaches for the maintenance of effective and efficient occlusal surfaces in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Pampush
- Department of Health and Human Performance, High Point University, High Point, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Physician Assistant Studies, High Point University, High Point, North Carolina, USA
| | - Paul E Morse
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Richard F Kay
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Division of Earth and Climate Sciences, Nicholas School, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Morse PE, Pampush JD, Kay RF. Dental topography of the Oligocene anthropoids Aegyptopithecus zeuxis and Apidium phiomense: Paleodietary insights from analysis of wear series. J Hum Evol 2023; 180:103387. [PMID: 37245335 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Fossil primate dietary inference is enhanced when ascertained through multiple, distinct proxies. Dental topography can be used to assess changes in occlusal morphology with macrowear, providing insight on tooth use and function across the lifespans of individuals. We measured convex Dirichlet normal energy-a dental topography metric reflecting occlusal sharpness of features such as cusps and crests-in macrowear series of the second mandibular molars of two African anthropoid taxa from ∼30 Ma (Aegyptopithecus zeuxis and Apidium phiomense). Wear was quantified via three proxies: occlusal dentine exposure, inverse relief index, and inverse occlusal relief. The same measurements were calculated on macrowear series of four extant platyrrhine taxa (Alouatta, Ateles, Plecturocebus, and Sapajus apella) to provide an analogical framework for dietary inference in the fossil taxa. We predicted that Ae. zeuxis and Ap. phiomense would show similar patterns in topographic change with wear to one another and to extant platyrrhine frugivores like Ateles and Plecturocebus. The fossil taxa have similar distributions of convex Dirichlet normal energy to one another, and high amounts of concave Dirichlet normal energy 'noise' in unworn molars-a pattern shared with extant hominids that may distort dietary interpretations. Inverse relief index was the most useful wear proxy for comparison among the taxa in this study which possess disparate enamel thicknesses. Contrary to expectations, Ae. zeuxis and Ap. phiomense both resemble S. apella in exhibiting an initial decline in convex Dirichlet normal energy followed by an increase at the latest stages of wear as measured by inverse relief index, lending support to previous suggestions that hard-object feeding played a role in their dietary ecology. Based on these results and previous analyses of molar shearing quotients, microwear, and enamel microstructure, we suggest that Ae. zeuxis had a pitheciine-like strategy of seed predation, whereas Ap. phiomense potentially consumed berry-like compound fruits with hard seeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul E Morse
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - James D Pampush
- Department of Exercise Science, High Point University, High Point, NC 27260, USA; Department of Physician Assistant Studies, High Point University, High Point, NC 27260, USA
| | - Richard F Kay
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Division of Earth and Climate Sciences, Nicholas School, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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Stuhlträger J, Kullmer O, Wittig RM, Kupczik K, Schulz-Kornas E. Variability in molar crown morphology and cusp wear in two Western chimpanzee populations. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 181:29-44. [PMID: 36807569 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) possess a relatively generalized molar morphology allowing them to access a wide range of foods. Comparisons of crown and cusp morphology among the four subspecies have suggested relatively large intraspecific variability. Here, we compare molar crown traits and cusp wear of two geographically close populations of Western chimpanzees, P. t. verus, to provide further information on intraspecific dental variability. MATERIALS AND METHODS Micro-CT reconstructions of high-resolution replicas of first and second molars of two Western chimpanzee populations from Ivory Coast (Taï National Park) and Liberia, respectively were used for this study. First, we analyzed projected tooth and cusp 2D areas as well as the occurrence of cusp six (C6) on lower molars. Second, we quantified the molar cusp wear three-dimensionally to infer how the individual cusps alter with advancing wear. RESULTS Both populations are similar in their molar crown morphology, except for a higher appearance rate of a C6 in Taï chimpanzees. In Taï chimpanzees, lingual cusps of upper molars and buccal cusps of lower molars possess an advanced wear pattern compared to the remaining cusps, while in Liberian chimpanzees this wear gradient is less pronounced. DISCUSSION The similar crown morphology between both populations fits with previous descriptions for Western chimpanzees and provides additional data on dental variation within this subspecies. The wear pattern of the Taï chimpanzees are in concordance with their observed tool rather than tooth use to open nuts/seeds, while the Liberian chimpanzees may have consumed hard food items crushed between their molars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Stuhlträger
- Former Max Planck Weizmann Center for Integrative Archaeology and Anthropology, Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Group Animal Husbandry and Ecology, Group Animal Breeding, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Ottmar Kullmer
- Division of Paleoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department of Paleobiology and Environment, Institute of Ecology, Evolution, and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Roman M Wittig
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, CSRS, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
- Institute for Cognitive Sciences, CNRS UMR5229 University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron, France
| | - Kornelius Kupczik
- Former Max Planck Weizmann Center for Integrative Archaeology and Anthropology, Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Ellen Schulz-Kornas
- Former Max Planck Weizmann Center for Integrative Archaeology and Anthropology, Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Cariology, Endodontics and Periodontology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Section Mammalogy and Palaeoanthropology, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change and University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Canington SL. Plant Species Fed on by Wild Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) at Nine Sites. INT J PRIMATOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-020-00184-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Berthaume MA, Lazzari V, Guy F. The landscape of tooth shape: Over 20 years of dental topography in primates. Evol Anthropol 2020; 29:245-262. [PMID: 32687672 PMCID: PMC7689778 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Diet plays an incontrovertible role in primate evolution, affecting anatomy, growth and development, behavior, and social structure. It should come as no surprise that a myriad of methods for reconstructing diet have developed, mostly utilizing the element that is not only most common in the fossil record but also most pertinent to diet: teeth. Twenty years ago, the union of traditional, anatomical analyses with emerging scanning and imaging technologies led to the development of a new method for quantifying tooth shape and reconstructing the diets of extinct primates. This method became known as dental topography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A. Berthaume
- Division of Mechanical Engineering and DesignLondon South Bank UniversityLondonUK
- Department of BioengineeringImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Vincent Lazzari
- PALEVOPRIM—UMR 7262 CNRS INEE Laboratoire Paléontologie Evolution Paléoécosystèmes PaléoprimatologieUniversité de PoitiersPoitiersFrance
| | - Franck Guy
- PALEVOPRIM—UMR 7262 CNRS INEE Laboratoire Paléontologie Evolution Paléoécosystèmes PaléoprimatologieUniversité de PoitiersPoitiersFrance
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Rannikko J, Adhikari H, Karme A, Žliobaitė I, Fortelius M. The case of the grass-eating suids in the Plio-Pleistocene Turkana Basin: 3D dental topography in relation to diet in extant and fossil pigs. J Morphol 2020; 281:348-364. [PMID: 31998996 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Two separate subfamilies of Plio-Pleistocene African pigs (suids) consecutively evolved hypsodont and horizodont molars with flat occlusal surfaces, commonly interpreted as an adaptive trait to a grazing diet, similar to that of the present warthogs (Phacochoerus spp.). To investigate this in detail, we studied the 3D-dental topography of fossil specimens from the Turkana Basin, using geographic information systems-based methods. To establish baselines for interpretation of the Turkana Basin suids, topography of third molars of extant suids with known diets were analyzed: grazing warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), herbivorous mixed-feeder forest hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni), omnivorous generalist wild boar (Sus scrofa), omnivorous fruit and tuber eater bush pig (Potamochoerus spp.), and omnivorous fruit eater babirusa (Babyrousa spp.) In addition, we analyzed supposedly browsing Miocene suids, Listriodon spp. The same topographic measures were applied to Plio-Pleistocene specimens from the Turkana Basin, Kenya: Notochoerus euilus, Notochoerus scotti, Kolpochoerus heseloni, and Metridiochoerus andrewsi. With some differences between techniques, 3D-dental topography analysis of extant suid molars mostly predicts the dietary differences between the species correctly. The grazing P. africanus differs from both the omnivorous suids and the herbivorous mixed-feeder H. meinertzhageni in all except one metrics. The omnivorous mostly tropical suids, Potamochoerus and Babyrousa, primarily differ from the generalist, S. scrofa, in the orientation patch count analysis, showing higher occlusal complexity in the latter. Although, there might be significant gaps between the morphological changes and the ecological changes, we conclude that based on comparison of dental topography with the present-day suids, N. scotti and M. andrewsi were most likely highly specialized grazers, while N. euilus and K. heseloni retained more of their ancestral, omnivorous heritage, but consumed grasses more than the extant omnivorous suids. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Dental topography can predict different diets in present-day wild pigs. The Plio-Pleistocene pigs in the Turkana Basin had dental topography mostly similar to extant grazing warthog, although some species also had resemblances to omnivorous forest pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Rannikko
- Helsinki XR Center, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hari Adhikari
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Aleksis Karme
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Indre Žliobaitė
- Department of Computer Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mikael Fortelius
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Thiery G, Guy F, Lazzari V. A comparison of relief estimates used in three‐dimensional dental topography. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 170:260-274. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ghislain Thiery
- School of Sociology and AnthropologySun Yat‐Sen University Guangzhou China
- PALEVOPRIM UMR CNRS 7262Université de Poitiers Poitiers France
| | - Franck Guy
- PALEVOPRIM UMR CNRS 7262Université de Poitiers Poitiers France
| | - Vincent Lazzari
- PALEVOPRIM UMR CNRS 7262Université de Poitiers Poitiers France
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Patterns and Constraints of Craniofacial Variation in Colobine Monkeys: Disentangling the Effects of Phylogeny, Allometry and Diet. Evol Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-019-09469-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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10
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Pampush JD, Spradley JP, Morse PE, Griffith D, Gladman JT, Gonzales LA, Kay RF. Adaptive wear-based changes in dental topography associated with atelid (Mammalia: Primates) diets. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James D Pampush
- Department of Exercise Science, High Point University, High Point, NC, USA
- Department of Physician Assistant Studies, High Point University, High Point, NC, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jackson P Spradley
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA
| | - Paul E Morse
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Darbi Griffith
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Justin T Gladman
- Shared Materials Instrumentation Facility (SMIF), Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Lauren A Gonzales
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC, USA
| | - Richard F Kay
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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Glowacka H, McFarlin SC, Vogel ER, Stoinski TS, Ndagijimana F, Tuyisingize D, Mudakikwa A, Schwartz GT. Toughness of the Virunga mountain gorilla (
Gorilla beringei beringei
) diet across an altitudinal gradient. Am J Primatol 2017; 79. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Revised: 03/04/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Halszka Glowacka
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Institute of Human OriginsArizona State UniversityTempeArizona
| | - Shannon C. McFarlin
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human PaleobiologyThe George Washington UniversityWashingtonDistrict of Columbia
| | - Erin R. Vogel
- Department of Anthropology, RutgersThe State University of New JerseyNew BrunswickNew Jersey
| | | | - Felix Ndagijimana
- Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund InternationalKarisoke Research CenterMusanzeRwanda
| | - Deo Tuyisingize
- Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund InternationalKarisoke Research CenterMusanzeRwanda
| | - Antoine Mudakikwa
- Department of Tourism and ConservationRwanda Development BoardKigaliRwanda
| | - Gary T. Schwartz
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Institute of Human OriginsArizona State UniversityTempeArizona
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Thiery G, Guy F, Lazzari V. Investigating the dental toolkit of primates based on food mechanical properties: Feeding action does matter. Am J Primatol 2017; 79. [PMID: 28150439 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Although conveying an indisputable morphological and behavioral signal, traditional dietary categories such as frugivorous or folivorous tend to group a wide range of food mechanical properties together. Because food/tooth interactions are mostly mechanical, it seems relevant to investigate the dental morphology of primates based on mechanical categories. However, existing mechanical categories classify food by its properties but cannot be used as factors to classify primate dietary habits. This comes from the fact that one primate species might be adapted to a wide range of food mechanical properties. To tackle this issue, what follows is an original framework based on action-related categories. The proposal here is to classify extant primates based on the range of food mechanical properties they can process through one given action. The resulting categories can be used as factors to investigate the dental tools available to primates. Furthermore, cracking, grinding, and shearing categories assigned depending on the hardness and the toughness of food are shown to be supported by morphological data (3D relative enamel thickness) and topographic data (relief index, occlusal complexity, and Dirichlet normal energy). Inferring food mechanical properties from dental morphology is especially relevant for the study of extinct primates, which are mainly documented by dental remains. Hence, we use action-related categories to investigate the molar morphology of an extinct colobine monkey Mesopithecus pentelicus from the Miocene of Pikermi, Greece. Action-related categories show contrasting results compared with classical categories and give us new insights into the dietary adaptations of this extinct primate. Finally, we provide some possible directions for future research aiming to test action-related categories. In particular, we suggest acquiring more data on mechanically challenging fallback foods and advocate the use of other food mechanical properties such as abrasiveness. The development of new action-related dental metrics is also crucial for primate dental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghislain Thiery
- iPHEP: Institut de Paléoprimatologie, Paléontologie Humaine, Evolution et Paléoenvironnements, UMR CNRS 7262 INEE, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Franck Guy
- iPHEP: Institut de Paléoprimatologie, Paléontologie Humaine, Evolution et Paléoenvironnements, UMR CNRS 7262 INEE, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Vincent Lazzari
- iPHEP: Institut de Paléoprimatologie, Paléontologie Humaine, Evolution et Paléoenvironnements, UMR CNRS 7262 INEE, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
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Lucas PW, Vogel ER, Yamashita N. Symposium on food properties and primates. J Hum Evol 2016; 98:1-4. [PMID: 27522639 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter W Lucas
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama.
| | - Erin R Vogel
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, 131 George Street, Ruth Adams Building Suite 306, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1414, USA
| | - Nayuta Yamashita
- Institute of Population Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria; Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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Dunham NT, Lambert AL. The role of leaf toughness on foraging efficiency in Angola black and white colobus monkeys (Colobus angolensis palliatus). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 161:343-54. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Revised: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noah T. Dunham
- Department of Anthropology; The Ohio State University; Columbus OH 43210
| | - Alexander L. Lambert
- Engineering Department; Star Dynamics Corporation; 4455 Reynolds Dr Hilliard Ohio 43026
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